Caracas: Former Venezuelan military intelligence chief Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios may become a pivotal witness in the federal criminal proceedings against Venezuela's captured leader, Nicolas Maduro, USA Today reported.
According to Anadolu Agency - English, Carvajal, who was once closely linked to late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Maduro, admitted guilt last year in the US on charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. He acknowledged his involvement in smuggling cocaine into American cities.
Carvajal's unexpected guilty plea, following two years of denying the charges, has led to speculation about his potential cooperation with US authorities. This cooperation could be in exchange for a reduced sentence, potentially providing insights into Maduro's government.
US Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) documents indicate that the criminal network Carvajal operated under both Maduro and Chavez was cited by the Trump administration to justify the US raid that led to Maduro and his wife's capture on January 3.
On December 2, Carvajal addressed a letter to Trump, expressing his willingness to cooperate in investigations "to atone by telling the full truth so that the United States can protect itself from the dangers I witnessed for so many years."
In this letter, published by The Dallas Express, Carvajal claims that the Maduro regime weaponized cocaine and exported violent criminal networks, including Tren de Aragua, into the US.
Jack Kelly, a former DEA supervisory agent, noted to the outlet that Carvajal's testimony against Maduro "would be akin to Sammy the Bull testifying against John Gotti."
Carvajal's lawyer, Robert Feitel, conveyed to USA Today that he could not discuss any aspects of the case against Maduro, as Carvajal may serve as a witness against the captured Venezuelan leader.
Sandalio Gonzalez, a former top DEA agent, stated that Carvajal and his lawyer must persuade Justice Department prosecutors that his testimony is robust enough to withstand the potential for rigorous cross-examination by Maduro's defense regarding Carvajal's own criminal involvement.
Gonzalez, who was involved in building cases against both Maduro and Carvajal, emphasized that Carvajal's attorney must present "significant evidentiary value" along with comprehensive admissions of his criminal activities.
The Justice Department will also need to evaluate whether Carvajal's testimony could offer "critical evidence that they couldn't get from another witness already under a cooperation agreement."
On January 3, US special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a nighttime raid in Caracas, detaining him amid airstrikes on military targets. This operation, ordered by President Donald Trump, was driven by longstanding federal indictments accusing Maduro of narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption.
Maduro made his court appearance on January 5 in a New York City federal court, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges.